Apparently, there’s a little curve-ball in the December 5 scheduled release of the Unwritable Rant podcast. According to the show’s producer; “The demand on Twitter, FB, slack chat, etc. has been so great that J (Juliette Miranda, show’s host) and I decided to release the episode on Saturday, Dec 3rd. Yeah… this has never happened to release before our traditional date but what the hell….”

This morning, one of Grandmaster Adam’s students came to his class, and said she went to a stretch and exercise class this week at a local gym, and asked “is this all there is?” The class wasn’t constructive or beneficial. Adam nodded. It resonated with his thoughts. He recognized this situation throughout the years. He has seen hundreds of programs come and go. A lot of them do more harm than good. That’s why they don’t last. It’s a hamster wheel of fitness – a lot of running around, but you get nowhere.

When Adam came to America in 1971, he was 19-years-old, and had already been assisting his Grandmaster Ly Xuan Cuong in teaching for four years. Wherever Adam traveled, Utah, Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia people would marvel at his practice of Yoga, Karate-do, and Zen Meditation. They would inevitably ask what he was doing, and ask him to demonstrate more. Even though Adam was a college student himself, they would ask him to teach them. He was only too happy to share what his family had been teaching first to the Royal Families, and top officials of Vietnam for hundreds of years. What Adam teaches to this day is a unique brand of wellness. The foundation is Yoga, but much more elaborate and intense. Adam has a poster where he is holding 222 Yoga poses. Most people are impressed by not only the poses, but the beauty of the proper form – the depth of the execution. Adam waves this off. “We have more than 10,000 variations and combinations of technique and sequences.” That’s the difference he insists.

So Adam showed up on my doorstep this morning, very excited for such a peaceful Master. “We are going to create a revolution,” he said. “There is a hamster wheel of exercise programs out there. People are stuck, but we are going to make them healthy. If they practice the right way they can improve their health, and move well, feel great. They will function well until their very last days.”

It’s difficult to explain to someone younger who has not nursed an aging parent; someone who feels invincible in their youth how important it is to be able to stand straight, tall, and strong, and be able to walk on their own power. Once you see how difficult it is for your own parents to make it up a flight of stairs – you understand. It’s equally difficult to explain to someone in their sixties that it is not too late improve, and return to a more youthful condition. Grandmaster Adam has already proved this to be the case with many of his senior students!

How does Adam do it? He takes proper time to work the whole body; head to toe; the senses, the mind, the nervous, lymphatic, immune, and all other systems. It’s stretching, loosening, straightening, balancing and stabilizing the body. He helps you create energy by invigorating the internal organs and glands. You work on breath -so important. All the joints become properly aligned and lubricated. He works on straightening and strengthening tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Whereas weightlifting might tighten and tear, his way of practice restores and rejuvenates.

So, let the peaceful revolution begin. If Master Adam has his way he will teach millions of students to live happier healthier lives. Maybe one of them will be you.

Thank you for watching, and showing me some Reel Love. I’ve been remiss about putting out a reel for years so I’ve compiled some quick clips from various films and television appearances. Hope you enjoy it. Clips are from Eyes of the Roshi; The Dream Machine; Chasing Laughter; Alfred from Ghost Stories; Broken; The Son; Mercy; and, The Alcoholic. Too many fun things to choose from, and wanted to keep it under two minutes. All the Best, Ethan.

“Deep in that rot is Booker, played by the Oscar-nominated Eric Roberts (“The Pope of Greenwich Village,” “The Dark Knight.”) He plans to cash in by helping the psychotic Carey find Adam. Roberts portrays a natural-born snake. His scenes with his sidekicks – Marty (Jonathan Marten) and Itchy (Seth Marten) – brim with menace and black humor.”

“Amanda Dunn fulfills a difficult assignment as Blanche, the pretty, tough, vulnerable, troubled, confused gal who is drawn to Adam, perhaps for the serene strength he radiates. And Nguyen conveys genuineness and sincerity. He convincingly displays his fight moves, and a few neat yoga tricks, and shows the right timing for both spoken and physical comedy. Because they make us care about Blanche and Adam, we feel the dread build as Carey draws closer while his body-count grows.”

“Two climactic scenes deliver the goods. Ethan Marten slowly and quietly builds Carey into a frightening death machine. When he corners Blanche in a farmhouse, we learn a little about the man behind the evil, and it ain’t pretty. There is real A-list suspense, building to the point of horror.

BY JOHN-HENRY DOUCETTE
OCEANFRONT — Eyes of the Roshi, an independent film shot this past year in Virginia Beach and Knotts Island, N.C., is nearing completion, and a screening may be in the works for Virginia Beach within the next six months.

“We’ve got a tight film,” said Ethan Marten, an actor and producer who runs Light Age Films, during an interview on Thursday, Feb. 11, at his home at the Oceanfront.

“It should be ready for exhibition by the end of March,” he said, meaning the action drama would be shown to those who might acquired and distribute it.

Stacy Whittle (right) playing one of her many characters in Molotov Theatre Group’s Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe. Whittle is 2015 nominee for Best Supporting Actress in the Broadway World Washington, DC Theatre Awards.

Stacy Whittle a busy working actor. She plays Sandy opposite Eric Roberts (Booker) in the Light Age Films production of Eyes of the Roshi. The film is due out this Spring. Now she is nominated for her stage work, having played multiple roles in Molotov Theatre Group’s production of Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe.

Those wishing to show their support for this exceptional actress can vote now.

The votes will be tallied through December 31. Winners will be announced in January!

Stacy Whittle (Sandy) with Eric Roberts (Booker) in the Light Age Films motion picture, Eyes of the Roshi